Whats the play? with Anthony 'Play' Douglas

Every week, Anthony will be giving you his insight into what’s happening on the urban scene that doesn’t quite register on the radar of other media

Written by Anthony Douglas
15/12/2016 06:30 PM

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WHAT’S THE PLAY: Mr Play

BEFORE I started this column, I was in two minds about doing it. But I have to say, after the feedback I have received from friends, family, business associates and new followers across my social networking platforms, I’m glad I did it.

I’ve been blown away. So I want to thank everyone that shared, reposted or commented on the column, it means a lot.

I genuinely didn’t think people would be bothered, so it's made me feel good. Sometimes you need a little boost. We all get to that point in life where we question things. What am I doing and why am I doing it? Does anyone care? Does anyone even see? The feedback has shown me that there are a lot of supporters out there and I am thankful for that.

Someone who I’ve listened to recently who I think deserves more attention is Ember Phoenix. I was tuned into Pulse FM, a community station based in north-west London, and the artist sang a song called Jodeci. It’s one of those songs that when you hear it you know it’s a hit, but knowing the people in power, the people in the "machine", the track will probably be overlooked. It’s a shame that it probably won’t do as well as it should.

Those in the "machine" are more likely to pick up a track from an artist that already has a mini buzz around them. Gone are the days when people wanted to buss a track first – that’s out the window.

Another challenge for Pheonix is the fact that there are a lot of platforms over here in the UK catering to Grime and Street Rap, which are doing really well at the moment. If you're not part of that scene, then there aren't many places for an artist to shine.

Artists like Ember Phoenix and artists in general who aren't doing Grime or Street Rap need a portal as well. It may need a group of people who think as I do to come together and make that platform. If any one is interested, holla.

A world away from music there, was one other important issue that grabbed my attention recently: the journey and day-to-day challenges faced by black mothers.

I saw an event being advertised called Motherhood Reconstructed and I commend them for tackling the issue in such a proactive way.

POSITIVE: Motherhood Reconstructed

From my understanding, they are going out of their way to paint black mothers in a good light, moving away from the stereotypical single mother, council estate image.

They have identified a lot of black mothers that are doing great things and living positive lives and are using their platform to promote them and bring them together.

They have an event coming up over the Christmas period, which I obviously can’t attend because it’s for black mothers but I respect the movement and wish them well.

There are a lot of women that go through situations by themselves and Motherhood Reconstructed is a hub, a safe place for likeminded women to show togetherness. I love to see sisters getting together and empowering each other.

I’m all for anyone trying to bring people together in a positive light so while I’m on the subject I want to salute Kojo for his film The Weekend.

PREMIERE NIGHTS: Isabella Johnson-Ewers (Actress/Model) and Mr Play

I attended the premiere and consider myself a bit of a film critic. I’d give the film a strong seven out of ten.

Everybody who was apart of bringing that film to life did very, very well. They all have room to grow and I particularly like the fact that it wasn’t a stereotypical shoot ‘em up, gang estate kind of film, it was very refreshing.

You can follow Anthony ‘Play’ Douglas on:

Twitter: @MrPlay Facebook and Snapchat: MrPlayVip Instagram: @MrPlay

Posted on: 15/12/2016 06:30 PM

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